Hey, Robin
by Cobwebbs
Summary: He doesn't care. Bruce can be petty if he wants to. So what if he replaced him? So what if Bruce got himself a new kid? So what if he gave this new punk kid Robin without Dick's permission? Dick sneers at the bag - Bruce was being a douche, that was his thing. It's why Dick didn't find out about Robin from Bruce personally - he found out because of a blog post.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N) I have crap ton of homework and actual real job stuff to do - not to mention like three stories I should update . . . meh - here's something I was thinking of a while ago.**

 **It's sort of like a part two of the one shot - _Follow Ups_ \- where Bab's finds and meets Jason Todd for the first time.**

 **Only this is Dicks end of that Story.**

 **You don't have to read it - just adds perspective to this shot if you do.**

 **Also - I might be persuaded to write part two for this, like Dick actually meeting Jason.**

 **Motivation is your Superpower after all!**

* * *

Dick has no right to complain. He _knows_ this. He knows he doesn't. Being a cop was what _he_ wanted after all. What he argued and yelled and whined about with Bruce until he finally up and left and now he is a cop - so he has no right, not if he wants to lose any semblance of pride he has left, to complain about the circumstances right now.

But oh - how he wishes he could.

He hasn't slept in three days, which all things considered - wasn't even the bad part. The bad part was the no sleep plus no food plus no leads plus a bleeding head plus an empty gun plus the bad guys which he hadn't meant to get mixed up in that were surrounding him right now.

 _Damn_ Bludhaven and it's colorful locals.

Dick's ready to puke. He really should have hydrated a while ago. But this case had made him forget and - well - maybe that was a tiny, itty, colossal lie. He'd submerged himself unhealthily in this trafficking case because of another problem.

A problem that blurs yellow, red, and green and deserves to be thrown off a bridge - or at least punched in the face.

Someone gets a good blow in.

 _Oooow_ \- Dick sees spots and then blurry red anger builds up - the kind that's sudden and uncontrolled because he was just too damn _tired_ for this shit. Both emotionally and physically.

 _"Screw you._ " He hisses and grabs a pipe and swings. He gets a good crack in - someone goes down screaming, he swings again, flips under a chain and breaks a guys leg before promptly kicking him in the face. The ring closes in tighter, Dick's eyes narrow - things are still blurry but . . . he's learned long ago how to cope without his eyes.

He flips over, pure muscle memory, and grabs a guys arm and deftly swings him around like a bat, throwing him into several others. _Screw you all._ He seethes and drops kicks someone else, back punches, flips, spins in the air and lands blow after blow after blow and by the time the screams of pain have died down to agonized whimpers or unconsciousness he's not fighting _thugs_ anymore.

Dick stands in the ring of fallen thugs and throws the pipe down, it bounces of the concert with a sharp clatter and he's ready to throw up again.

 _Damn it_ \- he knew this would happen.

If he became physically unstable enough his already cracking emotions would come out and - Dick swallows hard, shoves his empty gun back in his holster and _almost_ walks in a straight line out of the ally.

Cops will find them later. He'll just drop a tip. Amy was gonna throw a fit though. He can't even find it in himself to be amused right now though. He sighs loud into the crackling dark. Bludhaven was ugly - but . . . again, _he_ wanted this.

So he's not allowed to complain.

* * *

Seems like his mornings were always ruined these days. And it was always because of some newsletter online popping up in his face or a quick cover story on tv when he was eating cereal.

What the hell did Bludhaven reporters have to report on shit that happens in _Gotham_?

That was what their news was always on. Not Nightwing _here_ in _Bludhaven_ , but _Robin and Batman - back in Gotham._ The place he _left_. They were brining it _to_ him, slapping his face with the figurative paper every time they broadcasted a story about them.

Which is why he's at home in his loft punching a bag, his anger seeping out of him in the form of sweat. He may or may not be imagining someone's face on that bag.

Who cares anyway. _He doesn't_. He's the one who chose to leave, it was his choice to become a cop - Bruce hadn't agreed with either choice. Maybe this was his way of paying Dick back, of rubbing it in his face - _Hah - I got a new one, you aren't that important._

Dick punches so hard his fingernails bite almost through the wrappings on his palm.

He doesn't care. Bruce can be petty if he wants. So what if he replaced him? So what if Bruce _got_ himself a _new kid_? So what if he gave this new punk kid Robin _without_ Dick's permission? Dick sneers at the punching bag - Bruce was being a douche, that was his _thing_. So what if Dick didn't find out about Robin from Bruce personally? - he found out because of a _blog post._ So what if Bruce just wanted to punch him in the face without actually punching him?

 _Who. The hell. Cares!_

Dick lets out a string of curses and kicks the bag clear off its chain. It lands on the ground with a resounding bang and he stands there. Eyes burning, ire rising, anger boiling and filling his veins. His entire body was hot and sticky and furious.

Who cares.

The new kid had been Robin for _months_ \- Dick had no idea for most of those months.

He'd found out - it had been a good day too. He'd had a nice productive day. Just wrapped up a candy smuggling ring, there was cocaine in the lollipop sticks and marijuana in the gum - he'd just wrapped up that wacky case, the candy smugglers turned out to be more dangerous than he expected, almost got shot in the head too . . . but they did it.

Dick remembers how _good_ it felt, everyone at the station was having a celebratory moment, coffee, doughnuts, and congrats on wrapping up this retarded case.

Then an officer - who's name Dick forgets - comes running in, phone waving in his grip as he flails around like a frantic five year old. "Guys! Check this out! Robin's back in Gotham!"

In that moment the coffee cup he was holding slipped out of his fingers and splashed on the ground. His entire body had gone numb and the once bright noise dulled into a warble.

He doesn't remember what his face looked like but it must have been bad - because Amy had noticed and prodded him in confusion.

"Hey Grayson? You alright? You look like you just saw the Joker?" She talked to him - her voice came through sounding like she was underwater.

Dick remembers - the disbelief. The denial. The inevitable realization . . .

 _Robin was in Gotham . . . but he wasn't._

Dick _wasn't_ \- he wasn't Robin anymore, so how the hell was _Robin in Gotham?_

He couldn't deny it forever. At first he'd hoped it was a prank - but no . . . he found out real quick how real it was, _stupid news blogs_ \- Robin was real. Robin was in Gotham. Robin was working with Batman -

 _And that Robin wasn't him._

Dick feels the faint feeling of being stabbed in the gut again as he rolls the bag upright. When he'd realized what Bruce had done - he'd still wanted to deny it but . . .but he _couldn't_.

So he settled for avoiding anything and everything to do with Gotham.

He ignored anyone over there - Babs had called him so many times . . . thing was, Dick's sure she's calling to _tell_ him about the very thing he's not answering her calls for.

Alfred calls too - not as much . . . Dick ignores those as well.

Bruce never once calls.

Dick's not sure if he would ignore that call though. But Bruce doesn't call.

At some point, Dick half expects somebody to tell the new kid to call.

Dick kind of wants it to happen, weirdly.

Like, he wants to confront this but - but _without_ going out of his way to do it. Like, if he somehow runs into Robin than - _fine, whatever_ . . . but he wasn't going to put himself out there so that _would_ happen, but at the same time he wants to get it over with and -

Dick slips into his shower and lets the water hit his face. He just wants to stop with this shit.

But he hurts - as much as he doesn't want to admit it to anyone, least of all himself, he _hurts_.

To his furious horrors his eyes blur with the water from above. Bruce had been the closest thing to a father figure to him for so long - Batman and Robin . . . that had been _their_ thing. That had been the reason Dick wasn't a broken mess or dead right now. Robin had been a hope beam, for both Batman and Dick Grayson. And now - now Bruce just up and _gave_ Robin to this - this _punk_ that Dicks pretty sure doesn't deserve it and -

His phone rings.

He lets out a sigh and turns off the shower, slips a towel around himself and pushes back his dripping hair. With any luck it's Amy with case results. Some idiot was killing prostitutes after he used them - it seems like a serial killer case but . . . the guy was being way too obvious.

He flicks his thumb over the screen.

 _Barbara_.

 _Shit_.

He doesn't want to answer her. _He won't._ He hasn't answered her calls for six months. Since he found out about Robin.

 _You're just running away_. Dick seethes at the taunt in his head. _I'm not running from anything._

 _You ran away from Bruce - from Barbara - from Robin . . . and now that someone else has Robin - you're still running._

He let out a breath, thumb quivering in indecisiveness.

No.

 _No I don't need this._

He puts the phone down and heads off to get dressed. He has _actual_ work to do and he doesn't have time for this cape crusaders mess.

* * *

"On your left Grayson!" Amy shouts through her com, in hot pursuit of their suspect, her gun at the ready as she pumps after the seedy dude in a ratty hoodie.

Dick snickers from his end, "I see 'im." He does. Granted it isn't from the standard steak out point, he'd crawled up a back ally fire escape and now he had perfect visual of the running scum. "About to intercept. Take a breather."

"Damn you." She snaps, voice cracking through the com.

Dick snorts and casually flips down with all the grace of an acrobat and deftly lands on top of the guy. They guy goes down with a scream as Dick puts his knee in his back and twists an arm around. "Going somewhere? I believe - " Amy come's running up as Dick grins at her puffy red face. "I believe the lady asked you a question."

"I ain't got nothin to say to a ya jack-ass." The guy spits hoarsely.

Amy rolls her eyes as Dick let's out a dramatic sigh. "Why can't they just do things the easy way?" He says dramatically.

His partner snorts and grabs the pimp, roughly handcuffing him. "Same reason they're in this crap in the first place. Because they're idiots."

"Hey!" They guy has the audacity to snap.

Amy gives the cuffs a hard twist for good measure and hauls him off. "Let's go bub, I've got a time out box with your name on it."

Dick grins as she drags the guy away without so much as a word. See, _this_ he was good at. Screw Bruce and his ' _you can't be a cop, it's dangerou_ s' shit thing he tried. Today hadn't been so bad. They got a suspect and a lead and it was almost time for him to clock out and maybe he can get some extra Z's tonight. One can only hope. Nightwing was laying low for now - besides, Dick likes giving solved cases to his Grayson name.

His phone rings.

Dick startles and hopes Amy hasn't lost the slippery creep -

 _Barbara_.

 _Twice in one day?_ Dick glares at the buzzing screen. Babs hasn't called more than once in a day since - forever ago. She'd called none stop at first. Than she'd stopped and now - now she's started again? _Why_ . . . his curiosity was starting to cloud his plan. _No - wait. No . . . it can't be anything important_. It's probably still about that whole . . . Dick shoves the phone in his pocket. If she _really_ needed him she'd have contacted him Bat style. Not like this. He ignores the buzzing until it stops. But the damage is done - his stupid brain wanders back to Gotham and the new Robin . . .

He curses under his breath and heads home. Now he has to go either punch a bag or eat something with a mountain of sugar on it.

Both sound good.

* * *

It wasn't fair. He'd been _asleep_ \- so asleep - it was rare to be _this_ asleep.

Plus it was like three in the morning and he didn't open his eyes. But his phone rang, in the back of his mind he thought it was a call from the station, an emergency for him. He was exhausted - he hasn't fallen asleep like this in _years_ \- he answers the phone in the dark, eyes still closed.

" _'llo_?" He mumbles, mouth barely moving, voice heavy and throat dry.

The other line is silent for a weird disorienting moment.

"Dick?"

It's like someone dumped ice water from the north pole over his head. His entire body snaps awake, nerves sizzle because of the sudden shock his brain emits and his stomach twists so hard he almost keels over.

"Babs?" He - He should _really_ hang up . He doesn't want to have this conversation, _please, please, please don't make me have this conversation._

She lets out a shaky breath and then - Dick's heart cracks when she gives him a watery laugh. "Bastard." She mutters, he knows she's at home, probably curled up in her bed in those fuzzy yellow PJ pants and a tank top and - and he sees her so _vividly_ his eyes hurt.

"I know." He answers. His brain has given up. He's given up. He - he just gives up. "I know."

"I bet you do." She's holding back a sniff. "I'm not even going to grace you with the reasons out loud."

"Yah." He's spinning, his heart's in his throat, his throat is clogged, his head hurts. "You ok?"

A harsher laugh. "Ok? Yah - yah I'm actually . . .really great. You know, considering you just up and left and somehow I ended up being the shunned piece in this chess game between you and Bruce."

That stung almost as much as if she'd actually punched his face.

"Screw this." She huffs, he hears the bed creak as she moves. "I didn't call for this. I _never_ call for this." She sounds so far away, he has the unbelievable urge to crawl through the phone and just kiss her senseless. God - he misses her . . . _so freakin' much._ But his pride and his anger and his - stupidity won't let him say so.

She deserves better anyway.

"I know." He knows this isn't why she calls. "I have to go." He wants to hang up.

 _"Stop running Grayson."_

He freezes. No sounds. Just the soft breathing on her end and a few sirens outside. Dick can hear his heart though, and it's loud and angry.

"Stop running. Come back. Meet the kid - he's - " Her throat clicks into the receiver, his does too. "He's a _good_ kid, Dick - he _is_. A brat, but . . . but he - "

Dick's shoulders lift, his hand tightens around the device against his ear. He _knows_ what she's going to say - he knows because she knows he needs to hear it and she knows he knows she's going to say it - but he doesn't _want_ her too -

 _"He deserves to be Robin."_

Dick swears he almost screams. He squeezes his eyes shut as the tidal wave of anger and regret and misery pound against his shore of sanity.

Silence again. Just him and his screaming thoughts. He knows this is what he was horrified of hearing. As petty and pathetic as it seems - he was always terrified that this new Robin - actually _deserved_ it.

And Babs just brought the whole effing mountain down.

Three in the morning.

"He's different though. Definitely different. Not _you_ in the slightest." She finally says after the silence drags on like a zombie through quick sand. "He has issues, like major ones, big chips on _both_ shoulders - he doesn't have his parents though. I don't think he ever did. But he cares - deep down, he _cares_. Robin . . . Robin _saved_ him I think."

Dick is ready to cry for an entirely different reason. Robin saved _him_? _Hah - that was . . . so consistent_. Robin saved Batman and Dick Grayson - now Robin saved this kid too.

"He needs a little work, rough around the edges you know? But - but I think you should meet him. Just . . . I was pissed too, for so long. I found out from a _newspaper_." She sounds appalled, her emotions less constricted, she was melting back into comfortably talking to him again. That was their thing. It would be tense and awkward for a while but then - they can't help melting back into their bond again.

"Yah - I know the feeling." He says dryly, stomach still tense enough to make him want to puke all over his bed. "Bruce sure is a piece of work." Maybe he could - just let this go a bit . . . _maybe_.

"That's an understatement. At least you're in Bludhaven. I live and work here as a citizen and Batgirl. Can you believe he _avoided_ Batgirl? I met the kid by accident, he answered the front door for Alfred once." She laughs wryly. "By that point I'd tried to get to the kid every possible way and - and he just _opened_ the freakin' front door. It was hilarious."

Dick snorts, _god he misses her._ "Did you punch Bruce at least."

"No."

Dick's a bit disappointed.

"I casually defaced his Batmobile radio. He's never going to get that _'if you're happy and you know it'_ song out of his head." She sounds pretty devious and pleased.

Dick slowly forgets why the hell he doesn't answer her calls. "I bet he was pissed."

"Royally. Especially since Jason thought it was the coolest thing ev - " She stops.

He suddenly _remembers_ , with a guilty whoosh of air, why he doesn't answer he calls.

The silence goes for comfortable in the dark to tense in the dark again.

After a lung tightening moment, "Jason huh?"

He can hear her suck in breath. "Yah. Jason."

 _Damn i_ t. Now the kid has a _name_. All this time - all this time Dick had been subconsciously avoiding giving the kid a face or a name . . . like somehow it made it easier to deal with the fact that there was another Robin if he wasn't humanized. Dick could get away with blotting out the human aspect of the kid and just see an empty suit walking instead of an actual kid and now - _now he has a name._

 _Shit_.

"Meet him Dick. If for nothing else, just because I know for a fact, that it will piss Bruce off - _especially_ if you guys get along. Which I'm pretty sure you could in a weird way." She's trying to give him reasons.

Dick doesn't want them. He's empty inside again. "Night Babs." He mutters tiredly. He's drained, he's done, he's exhausted.

She's quiet for a second, he's about to hang up.

"I miss you." It's small but solid, her words.

Dick's heart squeezes with his eyes. "I - miss you too."

She hangs up.

Dick can't go back to sleep no matter how tired and droopy his very soul is. The kid has a name now. He deserves to be Robin. Robin saved him - from what? Dick finds himself wondering . . . Who was this kid anyway? Where'd Bruce find him? What did this kid have that made Bruce give him Robin? What - what was going on with Robin now? . . . Chip on his shoulders? Dick had - still _has_ a few . . . but the way Babs said it - rough around the edges? What was Bruce doing with that?

Maybe - maybe he should let go . . . his exhaustion seems to tell him he already has, but his mind is being stubborn.

Maybe - maybe he should meet the kid . . .just - just to see if he _really_ deserves Robin.

Just to see for himself.

 _Just to see. . . ._

* * *

 _A/N) Anyone remember that time and age where Dickie bird was an ass to Jay-jay because Bruce gave him Robin without permission? Sort of how Jason went all homicidal on Tim when Bruce gave Robin to Tim without permission - and how Tim went all broody and dark angst when Dick gave Robin to Damian without permission - I am seeing a very sad pattern here._

 _Anyway, short version, Dick wasn't cool with Jason, not an out right jerk - just cold to the kid. They did bond a bit because it's Dick we're talking about - why do Robin's who don't like each other in the beginning bond later? Like Jason and Tim - and Tim and Damian - again . . .pattern._

 _So, yah - Dick didn't realize how much he actually liked the kid until AFTER Joker blew him up . . . yeeeeah . . ._

 _Hope you liked this!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N) Here's part two.**

 **I don't really dig the way it turned out - but it's definitely less angsty than the last part.**

 **I guess it's humorous towards the end?**

 **I hope you guys like it.**

 **~Motivation is your Superpower~**

* * *

Dick's been in Gotham for a week.

But he can't do it.

He can't get himself to go and _willingly_ see Bruce or his new kid. He hasn't even told Babs he's here - but he can't turn around either because . . . because than he really _would_ be running away. Now that he was here though - he was hiding.

Which it technically the same thing when you get down to it.

Dick hates when things twist together like this.

But he doesn't go see either of them.

Babs would probably hate him when she found out. And Bruce - Bruce would just look at him in disappointment or whatever. Alfred would probably be the worst to get through, and Dick has no idea how the new kid would deal.

He's been in Gotham for a week.

He's hiding - beating up bad guys here and there, but hiding nonetheless. He's pretty sure someone was going to catch wind that there's a blue and black clad man beating up thugs near the port soon enough. But for now - he was hiding.

These thoughts usually plague him when he's in the middle of a fight. Like right now. Somebody tried to blow up another guys fishing boat, Dick caught sight of the creep and the next thing he knows, several men in fishing coats and hooks are surrounding him.

Apparently the fish game in Gotham was intense and not to be taken lightly.

He ducks an oncoming fist and grabs a guy's thick hood, he slams him down, throws the hooks in the guy's belt at the others with deadly accuracy, some brave idiot gets a wire around the young hero's neck and pulls him back. This stuff was strong enough to cut through. Dick hacks and elbows the guy in the face, the man screams, Dick grabs him and flips him over, the man goes flying into the cold dark water below.

He's choking for air at the moment - he doesn't see the guy behind him raise a freakin' _machete_ until the man lets out a scream. Dick spins around and falls on his ass. A smaller body is moving through the fisherman - fast and . . . brutal.

Dick winces when he hears bones crack, shrieks cut through the air. The body kicks and punishes and literally attacks these guys like he's about to murder them. Dick gets this feeling this person - was fiercely damaged.

He doesn't realize he's gawking until the figure kicks aside one last bulky fisherman vandalizer. Dusts his hands off like nothing happened and notices Dick staring in the corner.

He steps into the light and Dick's ready to hull himself off the docks.

 _Robin_ \- Robin stands in front of him and the sight is making Dick dizzy with denial and hatred for being so stupid. _This was a bad idea - you shouldn't have come back . . . now you have to face Bruce, Robin - this kid inside the Robin suit._

"Hey, the least you could do is thank me, princess."

The tone - it was _sarcastic_ and instantly grated on Dick's nerves. _Little_ \- "I had it under control." He snaps and stands, realizing his undignified position. He kind of got a self-ego boost when he sees he's at least a head taller than the kid.

"Didn't look like it. But whatever. Guess you're shy."

Dick _swears_ this kids trying to piss him off on purpose.

But then - the moment at hand. The air is stiff and quit, except for a few groans _. I have to do this - I have to confront this._

"So - you're Robin huh?" He tries, pretty sure fails, to be as casual and non-accusing as possible.

The kid turns to look at him, a smirk pulls his lips. "Yup. And you are?"

 _Damn him._

Dick resist the urge to punch this kids face.

"Nightwing. Former - " His mouth dries when he says that - "Former Robin." He holds out a hand.

The kid looks at his face, then his hand, then his face again. Dick can't help wondering what he's thinking when the kid grabs his hand and gives it a firm shake.

"Oh yah - that explains the mask." Was he being serious? Dick can't tell if he's being serious or just a prick. "Nice to meet ya. Welp, gotta go - I'm following a lead for these guys and since there all unconscious I gotta go find me a new one." He says cheekily and salutes before spinning around, the cape whooshing in the dark and runs off, boots heavy on the ground but somehow the kid flips onto a Warehouse without a hitch.

Dick just stares. Dumbfounded.

That was Robin?

That was the kid that deserves Robin? Dick's disappointed.

No way Batman could just - accept that. There has to be more. Aside from the kid being violent and probably temperamental - Dick needs to see why the hell this kid deserves to be Robin.

He grits his teeth and decides.

He follows after the kid - he's going to see just who this kid was and why he dares put on Robin.

Dick's pretty sure he'll regret this decision though.

* * *

 _Yup. He regrets it._

He regrets it so much.

Dick's been chasing this kid around Gotham ports for two hours and so far - the punk has beaten up anyone he could get his hands on. It's like there's this flame of rage simmering and sizzling under the kid's skin and it comes out in short terrifying bursts when a goon doesn't give him the answer he wants or when a goon tries to hurt him. It's like - this Kid was a _hurricane_.

 _With fire._

And an occasional _bomb_ thrown in.

Dick can't believe Bruce puts up with him. He can't believe _Babs_ puts up with him.

"I don't know where 'Shorty' is I swear!" A bulky guy with stringy hair and a pea coat was blubbering as Robin dangles him off of a roof.

Dick's been silent this entire time. He's been watching, occasionally helping - but this kid doesn't leave room for anything. Dick watches now though, arms crossed, mouth pulled into a thin line as _'Robin'_ sneers menacingly at the shaking thug.

" _Wrong_ _answer_." The kid hisses, voice gravely and young but terrifying as he lets. The man. _Go_.

Dick panics and curses, jumps, and grabs the man mid fall and swings him to the ground. The guy passes out on the cold asphalt from shock. Body convulsing from fear. Dick throws _'Robin'_ a nasty glare as the kid jumps down from the height.

"What'd you do that for?" The punk has the _audacity_ to look put off. Like, how _dare_ Dick save the guy from his stupidity.

Dick snaps. He's had it. This kid was _crazy_ , he doesn't deserve Robin, Babs is _nuts_ \- why the hell would Bruce keep such an uncontrollable kid around and give him the _means_ to be even _more_ uncontrollable?

"What? The hell is wrong with you kid?" Dick snaps.

The boy's stance goes from casual defiance to tense defiance. "'Scuse me?" He snaps back.

"You heard me! Robin - this isn't _Robin_. You can't just go around scaring the shit out of people and then actually attempting to _kill_ them - "

"Hey!" The punk explodes. Apparently Dick wasn't the only one hiding growing animosity. "Who are you again?"

"You know damn well who I am you little punk. Get over yourself!" Dick cuts in, meaning to punch him with his words.

The kid's eyes narrow behind his mask. "Yah - I don't think so. Who the hell do you _think_ you are? You ain't _Batman_ \- so you don't get to tell me what to do, and even _then_. And - " He gets right up in Dick's face, shadows crossing his own face. "And you sure as _hell_ ain't _Robin_. So - who are you?" He taunting, he's vicious, he's -

Dick's ready to punch this kid in the face and toss him into the cold water behind him. Both their fists clench and it looks like, for a taut electrical moment, that there was going to be a superhero brawl. Although if you asked Dick- This kid was no hero.

"You're a real ass, kid. Where does Bruce come off giving _you_ , of all people, Robin."

It's like someone poured water over a fire.

Dick feels the sudden burst of deflating as the kid subconsciously backs away, his fight and anger just - just gone.

Then Dick sees it - even if the kid's wearing a mask - Dick sees the fear the anger and the desperation at the thought of - not being Robin. Dick comes to a startling realization - This Kid has already thought of that. He's already thought of how he probably doesn't deserve Robin, he's thought of Bruce kicking him out, he's thought of not being good enough, he's thought of this and -

"Go to hell." The anger is just a cover up. Robin sneers and turns into a sprint to get as far away from Dick as possible.

For the first time since he saw the kid - Dick feels guilty.

* * *

"I said, go to hell." Robin snaps as Nightwing lands carefully behind him on the steak out spot.

Dick shakes his head. "I heard you. But - " He lets a dry smirk on his face. "-you're not Batman, and even if you were - "

It's silent for a breathless moment.

Then the kid snorts. It's small and sort of sarcastic but - but it's also amused. Dick thinks that's an ok thing to start over with.

"How long you been tracking these people?"

"Three weeks." Robin answers flatly, eyes trained on the freighter in the dark docks.

Nightwing settles in, only mildly tense - it's still surreal to see the Robin costume _next_ to you instead of _on_ you. "This the wrap up?"

"Yup. Tracked this myself- " He's tooting his own horn. Dick lets him. Although he's still trying to figure this punk out.

"What are they - "

"Shhhh." Robin shushes him and points.

Two men in thick clothes and black beanies over their faces enter the freighter. _Well, that's not suspicious at all._ Don't these men know this is Gotham? You can't go around dressed like that and go unnoticed. _Seriously_.

"I'm moving in." Robin hisses to no one in particular.

Dick moves in after him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Robin snaps at him.

"I'm backup."

This seems to irk the kid. "I don't _need_ back up."

"I bet. But I'm coming anyway. P.S. you sound like Batman."

This seems to irk the kid _even_ _more_. "Whatever, just stay out of my way." And he deftly flips down.

Dick sighs, his anger and suspicion long since dissolved. Now he just wonders about this little monster. Maybe if he finds out what goes on with the kid - maybe him being Robin wouldn't be so gut punching anymore.

He follows the kid into the giant ship. "Hey, where'd you - "

A scream startles him then a loud bang that echoes through the dark metal corridor rings in his ears. _So_ \- the new Robin sucks at stealth.

"Hey!" Dick hisses fiercely as he follows the scuffle sounds. He's pretty sure the guards upstairs heard the noise by now. They should be - Right on cue, several mean with guns come pouring in, catch sight of Nightwing and start shooting.

Dick groans in anger and frustration and uses the small space to his advantage, he does get bullet grazed once but he quickly takes care of the offender by smacking him in the face.

The sounds have stopped from below where Robin undoubtedly was.

Dick gets this weird prickly feeling and rushes down there before anything else can happen. He freezes when he burst into the room.

 _Kids_.

 _Hundreds_ of kids, all different colors and sizes and ethnicities and . . .and none were older than ten. His heart squeezes and he's ready to puke. These kids look horrible, malnourished, starving, dying kids that were all packed into this small prison like animals to be sold off to another country.

Robin was in there. Dick doesn't know what he expects from him but - but what he sees shocks him.

Robin's in there, _talking_ to the kids. _Soothingly, kindly_ \- as he picks the locks on their chains. The kids understand him, they reach out, he reaches back. He gets them all freed -Dick helps with half of them after he's done being horrified and shocked. But he watches Robin, he watches the way this kid handles all these sad miserly individuals.

The punk even picks up a small little girl barely four with dark eyes and puts her on his back, she can hardly stand. Dick watches as Robin instructs them to follow him, ensures them the bad men are gone - Dick watches as this Robin turns into something else entirely. The rage is still there, the anger that crackles under his skin - but then there's something else. There's this. . . deep _real_ understanding for these kids. A connection - like . . . Dick swallows. Like this Robin _knows_ what it feels like to be a sad miserly little kid starving for food and affection and -

"You comin' or what?" Robin snaps at the older hero.

Dick nods numbly and grabs a few wobbly kids' hands. "Let's get out of here."

"Finally, something we agree on." Robin says flatly. Dick sees the weak attempt of a smirk and takes it.

This Robin - this Robin _was_ different. So, _so_ different. But . . .

But that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be Robin.

They get the kids out, they hustle them into one spot and call the cops. They can't do anything else with them and Dick has a mini heart attack when Robin calls Batman to tell him what's happened.

"And the kids?" Batman's gruff voice filters through the com.

Robin snorts. "Safe and sound, starving but alive."

Dick waits. The com goes silent. His neck hairs prickle, he's not sure why.

"Good work, Robin."

Dick feels the tension evaporate. He shocks himself with the relief he feels on behalf of this punk. Said punk grins. Big and wide and cheeky and Dick sees what Babs' said - _he's a brat but . . . he's a good kid._

"Thanks B."

The coms click off and they go back to waiting for the cops. The kids huddle together in fear but slowly growing relief at having been rescued finally. Robin crouches down and talks to some of the timid ones. They adore him.

Dick's shocked at how quickly these kids trust him, how quickly they attach to him. He feels guilt again. Anger - but not at Bruce or Robin. At himself. He's the one who let Robin go. He's the one who told Bruce he could be his own hero. He was Nightwing now. It wasn't fair - maybe, maybe Robin doesn't deserve to disappear forever. Maybe Bruce did right to give Robin to someone else, to bring Robin back to life.

Maybe Robin would always be needed by more than just Batman.

"Hey, Robin." Dick expects to cringe when he says the words. But he doesn't. He's just sort of fallen into a calm acceptance. Not completely healed at being replaced but - acceptance was a good step.

Robin looks up at him, Dick sees the kid's shoulders raise and tense up. The way he does it looks like a tick he's picked up way before Bruce made him Robin, Dick shakes his head.

 _Oh yah, this kid was different._ "Nice job." He says calmly and holds out a hand. This was the first step. The first step to accepting he's moved on and so has Bruce. The first step to accepting someone else can be Robin. Different or not. This kid had a heart in there and that's what matters.

Robin looks surprised for a second then he smirks and takes Nightwing's hand. "I know."

Dick's eye brow twitches.

Then Robin looks down at his shoes and suddenly looks like an entirely different kid. "He always said you were the best you know." He looks up and meets Dick's eyes with a hint of resentment. "He always says how - how _great_ of a Robin _you_ were and . . . and I'm _not_ you so - " He rubs the back of his head sheepishly but defiant. "So yah. S'why I was an ass the first time. Sorry."

 _Oh_.

Oh. That - that explains a _lot_ actually. _Funny_ . . . Dick almost laughs. Here he was being jealous because he thought Bruce replaced him with this punk and this punk was being a punk because he's jealous because Dick was Bruce's first Robin . . _. man,_ this was all so over dramatic and so not worth the energy.

Dick gives in. He laughs, this surprises Robin.

"Good to know." He snickers again and puts a hand on the kid's shoulder. "We've got more in common than I thought." After a moment he tilts his head and smiles. "Nice to meet you Robin."

Robin grins. "You too, Robin."

" _Ex_ -Robin." Dick doesn't know why that feels good to get out. "But I don't think I have to worry about that anymore. You're good. A lot of rage in you but - but you're good at this. Maybe I'll come around more often, teach you how to _properly_ Robin."

"Psht, I don't need lessons, I'm awesome the way I am."

Dick rolls his eyes. "Yah - maybe tone down the maiming though."

Robin shrugs. "I'll think about it."

"Yah."

Sirens sound off in the distance. _Well - time to go_. Both of them reach for their grapplers at the same time and smirk at each other.

"See ya around - Robin." Dick says and he mean's it.

Robin nods firmly. "Yah. See ya."

And they both swing off into the dark as Gotham PD pulls up to finish their jobs.

* * *

"So?" Bab's voice sounds off in his ear through the phone.

Dick shrugs and presses fingers gingerly to a bruise on his side as he peers at his half naked self in the bathroom mirror, phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. "So _what_?"

"I know for a _fact_ that you met Robin." She snaps, as if how dare he has the audacity to think _she_ wouldn't find out.

"Oh. That."

"Yes _that_. Don't bullshit me, Dick." She's getting impatient.

Dick smirks and pulls a band aid over the cut on his cheek. "You were right. He _is_ a brat. Definitely a jerk." But he doesn't mean it as harshly as he should have.

Barbara sighs through a laugh. "You didn't try to maim him did you?"

"Very nearly."

"Dick!"

"It's fine. He probably could have taken it. He's - he's tough. A bit reckless and wild but - "

"Yah, he takes some getting used to." There's a smile in her voice and Dick suddenly wonders how long ago did she meet the kid and - how close did she get with this new Robin anyway?

"I guess he does. You tell Bruce I'm in town yet?" He doesn't want to think about that but -

"No. He probably knows though." She says carefully.

It clicks to Dick then. "That why Robin just happened to be at the docs tonight?"

"Probably."

"Ass."

"He certainly is. But - he _misses_ you. I think, that's why Jason was a jerk at first. Because he sees what you don't see and he sees how much Bruce misses you. I don't know why - " Dick can practically hear her eyes roll. "But Jason seems to believe he has a lot to live up to and it frustrates him. Just like getting replaced frustrates you."

"Yah, I got that." He did, it's probably why he wasn't even pissed off at Bruce for sending Jason - Robin - out to the docs.

"Good."

Suddenly a loud bang startles them and Dick hears muffled yelling before, where ever Barbara was, suddenly becomes very _loud_.

"You're not at home?" Dick raises a brow at the mirror.

"No I - "

"Screw him!"

"Is that - "

"Yah . . . um, Jason could you, maybe, calm down - "

"I'm _not_ calming down! Bruce is being a jerk again and I - who are you talking to?"

Dick feels weird listening to this.

"None of your business. Calm down and go read a book or something." Babs says firmly, like she's a mom or something.

Dick snorts.

"Quiet you." Babs hisses at him through the phone. "I don't need you to - hey! Jason hand that back, I swear, I will kill all of your video games if you - "

"Hello? Are you Barbie's boyfriend, girlfriend, or the pizza delivery guy? Either way, isn't she such a nagging old lady?" The voice is young and brighter, still a bit gravely.

Dick chokes and laughs. He literally _bends_ over and laughs as Babs starts cursing at the kid and the punk's still talking into the phone.

"I swear to god Jason!" Babs shrieks, Dick hears the scuffle, he kind of wishes he could see it, and a loud slap echoes through the phone. Dick winces at the kid groans and something hits the phone with a sharp thud.

"Geez, you aren't any fun, Barbie."

"You're a jack ass."

"Thank you."

" _Jason_." Her tone is warning, threatening, like she sounds when she's trying to talk Dick out of doing something stupid and Dick knows at that moment - this kid was more than Robin. This kid was family now -

"Hey, lemme talk to him for a sec." He says suddenly.

Babs scoffs and hands the phone to the kid.

"Seriously?" Jason sounds excited. " _Is_ it the pizza delivery dude? Because I have a serious craving for an all meat supreme right now and Alfred won't - "

"Tell them to deliver it to the garage. It's closer to your room and easier to sneak in that way." Dick snickers.

Jason goes silent on the line.

Than. "You? Nightwing - x-robin?"

"Yup. You can call me Dick though."

"What? I thought I did that already?"

A sharp slap sounds off and the kid curses and whines.

Dick snorts. "You are?"

"Jason. Jason Todd. Does that Pizza sneak in strategy work? Have you done it before?" Jason suddenly sounds excited about that.

Dick smiles to himself and pulls on a shirt. "Yah, just watch your back. Alfred can swoop in when you least expect it."

"I know right! He's like a freakin ninja, man, he scares me."

"Yah." Dick laughs, Jason snickers on his end and they hear Barbara groan loudly.

"What have I done." She gasps behind Jason.

Both boys grin at the same time though neither can see each other.

"So - when do I get to meet you _without_ the mask?" Jason says suddenly.

"Saturday?"

"Yah!" The excitement Jason gives off surprises Dick - maybe he is a brat but . . . but Dick didn't expect the kid to actually _want_ to hang out with his predecessor.

"Cool. We'll get pizza."

Dick goes to sleep that night with a semi grin on his face.

 _Ok, so - this Kid could keep Robin._

For now.

* * *

 _A/N) I Think if they really wanted to, the comic writers could have made Jason's and Dick relationship a little less regretful before the kid died._

 _One can only dream._

 _I like kid Jason though. He's such a little Troll ;P_


End file.
